Roads often develop cracks from road traffic, weather, and other causes. The cracks that develop are often repaired by depositing a patching compound on the road and applying heat to cause the patching compound to flow and fill the cracks. Although these techniques work well in some applications, the compounds are difficult to apply, and using such methods often results in the interruption of traffic while the heat is applied and during the subsequent cooling of the asphalt patch. Furthermore, a sprayer or other specialized equipment is often used to apply the compound.
Traditional patching compounds are typically made up of fresh resources, such as virgin aggregate, rather than incorporating only recycled ingredients. Moreover, traditional patching compounds are made up of several different ingredients, the combination of which adds expense and time to the manufacturing process.
In addition, traditional patching compounds often fail to repel water and/or do not remain pliable when in service. As such, traditional patching compounds often fail as heating and cooling of the road surface occurs and/or as exposure to water causes the patching compound itself to crack. Accordingly, improved compositions and methods for repairing defects in roads and other surfaces are desired.